Congressman Barney Frank
Representing Massachusetts' 4th District

PRESS RELEASE

Frank Calls for the President of Chile to
Continue Investigation of 1985 Disappearance of Boris Weisfeiler
June 16, 2010


Congressman Barney Frank today released a letter addressed to new Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, asking him to continue investigations into the disappearance of Boris Weisfeiler.  Weisfeiler, a Russian-born mathematics professor at Pennsylvania State University, disappeared in Chile while on a hiking trip in 1985, during the Pinochet period. To this day, there is no official account of his disappearance. 

Weisfeiler’s sister, Dr. Olga Weisfeiler of Newton, has for years pressed for a complete and thorough investigation of her brother’s disappearance.  Initially, the Chilean government claimed that Boris Weisfeiler had drowned – despite the fact that the river near the site of his disappearance was only four feet deep.  In January, 2000, Olga Weisfeiler petitioned the Chilean courts to re-open the case.  Later that year, the U.S. released State Department documents suggesting that Weisfeiler’s disappearance may be tied to the Chilean security apparatus under Pinochet. 

Nevertheless, little progress was made on the case until 2007, when the Chilean Investigative Police (PDI) appointed a new Human Rights Brigade to handle the investigation. However, with the election of President Sebastian Pinera, there have been reports that the lead investigators might be replaced.

In his letter to Chilean President, Frank strongly requests that the investigative team remain intact, and that the investigation into the disappearance of Boris Weisfeiler move forward quickly. 

The letter, which Frank authored with Congressman Glenn Thompson (R-PA), was co-signed by 52 members of the House and Senate, including every Member of the Massachusetts House delegation, as well as Senators John Kerry and Scott Brown. 

The following is an excerpt from the letter:

“We are writing to ask you, therefore, to use whatever powers you may have in your office to press for the present team to be allowed to continue its investigative efforts into Mr. Weisfeiler’s disappearance.  This investigation has been ongoing for some twenty-five years and the Weisfeiler family deserves to know the truth of Boris’ fate.”

Read Congressman Frank's letter to the President of Chile

For more information, see Chilean Mystery: Clues to the Vanished American, New York Times, May 19, 2002

 

 


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